


Suffer Not the Heretic

by thebirdroads



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 11:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebirdroads/pseuds/thebirdroads
Summary: To defy the Church is to defy the Goddess herself.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	Suffer Not the Heretic

**Author's Note:**

> I wish the game had focused more on "Rhea ordered the wholesale destruction of the Western Church" instead of just sweeping it under the rug on 3/4 routes, so I decided to write a little peek at what I imagine that was like.

The pall of smoke from the burning villages hung over the horizon like a shroud as the day’s first prisoners stood on the gallows set up in the square beneath the balcony. Bishop Artos unfurled the scroll he held in his hands, squinting against the glare of the rising sun. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd gathered below.

“In order to ensure the common good, and to ensure the swift removal of heretical elements plaguing the region, a state of emergency has been declared, by decree of Archbishop Rhea, divinely appointed representative of the Church of Seiros and the Goddess Herself. In response to the heresies rampant in the Western Church, and the treasonous rebellion incited by the same within the Lonato territories, an Order of Purification has been declared for the region. As such, the following have been declared capital crimes, punishable by death: unlawful assembly of three or more persons, position in the Western Church hierarchy, residence within a Western Church monastery, attendance of Western Church led services, baptism into the Western Church, aiding and abetting of heresy, and failure to report any of the aforesaid crimes to Central Church authorities. Any found guilty of these crimes shall be sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. May the goddess have mercy on your souls.”   
  
Artos gestured to the executioner, who pulled the lever, sending the first prisoners plunging through the trapdoor on the gallows. 

—-

  
The sun was almost directly overhead by the time Artos called for an end to the morning’s executions and went inside. His office, formerly belonging to the now deceased abbott of the monastery, was occupied mainly by the abbott’s small desk, now covered with sheaves of parchment. With a sigh of relief, Artos sat in the chair, his knees sore from standing for so long. There was a knock on his door.    
  
“Enter,” he said absently, scribbling a few notes on a piece of parchment.    
  
The door opened and one of the nuns entered, bowing her head.    
  
“Bishop, the latest group of children is ready for judgment.”   
  
“Send them in, sister.”   
  
The nun nodded and gestured, and a group of shabby, filthy children shuffled in, prodded by a pair of guards. Each child was shackled to the next one in line, and their ages ranged from, if Artos had to guess, 4 to 15. He scoffed.   
  
“Obviously the oldest ones are of no use to us, sister.”   
  
She bowed her head and muttered an apology, and the guard unshackled the oldest looking children and quickly escorted them out of the room. Artos turned to the others.   
  
“How many of you are literate?”   
  
None of them raised their hands.   
  
“Unfortunate.” He read over one of the letters on his desk bearing the Archbishop’s seal. 

“Truly unfortunate. It seems we have no need for any of you today. Sister, please return them to the holding pens.”    
  
The nun nodded, and the other guard started to herd the children back out of the room, before one of them spoke.   
  
“Please don’t send us to the scary lady!”    
  
The guard backhanded her across the face, but Artos held up a hand.   
  
“No, let her speak. What ‘scary lady’, child?”

  
“The lady with the shiny sword. She scared me. She was the one who caught us when we tried to run. Please don’t send me back to her, she killed papa.”    
  
“Your papa was a wicked man, child. He defied the will of the Goddess.”   
  
“I...” the girl trailed off.   
  
“But what, child?”   
  
“I didn’t know that.”   
  
Artos met the nun’s eyes, and then addressed the girl.   
  
“What is your name, child?”   
  
“B-Bessa.”   
  
“Send the rest back to the holding pens. Sister Carlotta, please get Bessa cleaned up and give her a hot meal. I believe she can still be cured of her heresy.”   
  
“As you command, Bishop.”   
  
Artos nodded and gestured for them to leave. With a small noise of satisfaction, he began composing a letter to the Archbishop, informing her of his progress. He hoped to finish before he was needed to preside over the afternoon executions. 


End file.
